FLEETFLASH Sharing stories
From our team for our team
June – July 2019 ____ Uniworld Cares ____
Behind the Scenes ____
Culinary Update ____
Many more stories to share!
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DEAR ALL, June and July was eventful and kept us busy with various events: The lock closures near Regensburg resulted in extensive deviations and some unusual ship swaps that were expertly handled by the crews on board and the team in the office. It is now two months since the River Countess was involved in the terrible accident with the MSC Opera in Venice. I would like to express a big thank you to the crew on board and all others that have been involved in the aftermath of the incident for the handling of this difficult situation in such a professional and efficient way. The River Countess is currently still in Trieste in dry dock for repairs and is well on schedule to be ready at the beginning of September to receive guests again for the remaining cruises this season.
“Perfection starts when each member of the team truly cares and delivers excellence”. What an amazing achievement to win the best river cruise line with Travel & Leisure the second year in a row. The B has been transported to the Netherlands in the beginning of July where she will undergo the winter maintenance to be ready next spring for new itineraries around the Netherlands and Belgium. Also in June Captain Roland Oost has started his well-earned retirement after a lifetime of sailing on the rivers in Europe. I wish him all the best for this new chapter in life and thank him for his passion, hard work and inspiring leadership. Brett Tollman’s latest video update can be found on the following link: Brett’s June video update Keep up the good work, look after our guests and each other, and above all stay respectful to the people you are in contact with, the equipment and tools you work with, and of course the environment around you! Best regards,
Ben Wirz Managing Director, GRC Global River Cruises GmbH
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Some Statistics‌
NPS scores 2019 vs 2018 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
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89 76
2019
92 85
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93
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2018
Our Net Promoter Scores from the guest surveys are on a good level with some really good results for a number of ships, but also some results that are below average and expectations.
Year-Over-Year Comparison (Pax #)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
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DEAR RIVER COUNTESS TEAM, It is now just over a month since the terrible accident of the MSC Opera with the River Countess in Venice happened. While I am sure the shock is still in your bones I do very much hope that you manage to process this experience in a positive way. Such situations can be difficult to handle for anyone and I would like to encourage you to reach out if you need help in dealing with the trauma experienced. It is important that you talk about your memories and thoughts if you feel that this troubles you. I have heard many great comments from various sides about the amazing reaction of the crew immediately before, during and after the incident, and how professional and selfless everything was handled. There were guests commending the incredible reaction while dealing with the incident, travel agents mentioning how selflessly crew members were helping guests to disembark up until the impact, industry colleagues of competitor companies showing respect and concern for the situation, as well as sister company executives in the TTC offering help on the ground. It makes me very proud to be working with such great personalities and professional team members such as yourself and I would like to personally thank you for that. Your effort is very much appreciated and the care you and the rest of the team were showing towards the guests, the ship and each other is exemplary. I am convinced that this team effort has saved lives or at least more serious injuries. Also below a message from Brett Tollman that I would like to share with you. While he might have misunderstood the fact about loosening the ropes it is a very nice message showing his strong appreciation for the entire team.
Many thanks and best regards, Ben
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Dear Mario, Martina, Ben, Joke, Rolf, Alexander, Brian, Hanspeter and every other member of our team involved, Our family and TTC joins Ellen and the extended Uniworld team in sincerely and deeply thanking each of you for your superb, unrelenting efforts over the past several days. Your efforts have been inspiring and outstanding. They are all very much appreciated and we are so proud of each of you and our team members onboard the River Countess. First and foremost, we must thank the fast thinking and actions of Captain Polidoro and his crew. Moving so fast to loosen the ropes tying the ship to the dock must have saved lives most importantly, and more extensive damage to the ship. Bravo, well done and thank you. Martina has been superb, and how lucky were we to have Joke onboard as well. Thank you both for looking after our remaining guests, and our crew. Just amazing and so proud of both of you too. To Ben, big thanks for implementing our crisis response and recovery team so quickly and smoothly, for keeping a level head and getting so much organized, so quickly, and continuing to monitor issues and responses on the ground as this continues. To Rolf, Alexander, Brian, Hanspeter and everyone else from our extended TTC family, big thanks to each of you too. We also want to recognise our great partner in Venice, Mr Filippo Olivetti of Bassani, and his team, for being such a fantastic partner to Uniworld. You have been a big help to us at the hospital, helping support and take care of our injured guests, feeding our team and more. Thank you, thank you. As Ellen has said several times, since being brought into this at midnight last Saturday – “We are so fortunate to have such a great team!” We certainly are and thank each of you – wish we could do this in person of course. We are thinking of you all, every day. Sincerely and with all our appreciation, Brett Tollman Chief Executive
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ELLEN’S QUOTES Dear Team, Over the weekend I was so impressed by our team and how well we worked together to manage through the incident on the River Countess – A huge thank you to Operations, Nautical team, Program Services, our crew, Technical, Reservations, customers care, marketing and our Corporate team. “ We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other. “ Thank you for all you do everyday and the care you show for each other and our guests. Dear Uniworld Team, Last week Joke De Bruyn of amazing Director of Hotel Operations shared the following quote with me… it’s true, and it made me smile. I hope it also brings a smile to your face. Dear Team Uniworld, The following quote reminds me of the entire Uniworld team ( we all have passion and enthusiasm) but in particular our sales teams across the world. They are out there every day as ambassadors of Uniworld selling the Uniworld difference with passion and enthusiasm filling our ships – they make a difference! “When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel.” “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, You’re RIGHT” – Henry Ford Dear Uniworld Team, I hope all is well across the fleet in the field and in the offices. Last week I was fortunate enough to be on the S.S. Bon Voyage hosting my annual President’s cruise. The warm hospitality, food, wine and experiences were all outstanding! I want to thank our wonderful Hotel Manager Ivana, Cruise Manager Emmanuel and our Captain Xavier and our Amazing TEAM! Greeting from New York City! Last night on behalf of each and every one of you I had the honor to accept the Travel & Leisure #1 River Cruise Line award for the second year in a row! Thank you for your passion, dedication and team work! We are the BEST! Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, And working together is success - Henry Ford 6
OUR SUGGESTION BOX
https://uniworld.typeform.com/to/VCLJam
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OUTCOMES KICK AFTER At the end of last season a group of team members came together to go over a list of topics that came from the team all over the fleet and office. Below are some of the outcomes, more to follow!
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UNIWORLD CARES THE WORLD’S BEEN GOOD TO US. AND WE’D LIKE TO RETURN THE FAVOR. Mother Nature has provided us with a beautiful playground, and supporting the places we visit and those who call our destinations home is essential to ensuring the future of travel is equally bright. Over a decade ago, we introduced a clean water programme to preserve our rivers and waterways, which many in the industry have since followed. As a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation and Uniworld, we partner with the TreadRight Foundation to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and preserved for generations to come. Travel has provided us the chance to give back and lift up others, and we strive to do so whenever possible.
SAY GOODBYE TO SINGLE-USE PLASTICS It is estimated that an additional eight million tons of plastic pour into our oceans every year. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, if nothing is done to push back against the deluge of plastics currently overwhelming our oceans there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050. Under the guidance of our parent company, The Travel Corporation, and their not-for-profit foundation, TreadRight, we will ban more than 60 types of singleuse plastics across all operations—including straws, water bottles and plastic bags—by 2022. It's all part of our commitment to ensure the environment remains vibrant for generations to come.
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The Charters Team sends a challenge to each of our own ships….. Last year, we set a project within our Charters Team for each of the Resident Managers to coordinate with our onboard teams in Russia, Portugal, Vietnam/Cambodia, Egypt and India and to work on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives in these locations. The team has been incredibly successful over this last year and a half, and we share with you below some of our implementations so far:
All charter ships now do not give plastic water bottles to our guests, and we have set the same system in place as on our UW ships. This was not in place until this year, as the facilities onboard did not accommodate this in the past. We purchase our pillow gifts in India, Mekong and Egypt locally, and supporting good causes, such as Kolkata Rescue in India Educating onboard teams and involving our partner companies in better recycling methods and garbage separation Working together with our partners to eliminate single use plastics onboard, such as straws, amenities packaging, soft drink bottles etc. etc. Great progress has been made here Each ship team has initiated a social project in the area in which they are sailing
These social projects have been implemented last year. Our Resident Managers, Polina, Roberto, Romica, Bosko and Snr. Exec. Chef Daniel sat with the team members onboard, and decided together on a project where they could make a difference in the areas that they are sailing. There are so many possibilities to make a difference in these areas, but each team decided to focus on one, and put all effort into that. Today we share with you the project from Team River Victoria. In 2018, the team decided to support a school in a small village called Goritsy, where the ship stops each cruise. This area is relatively poor, and the school does not receive much funding, so the team approached this school to ask if they may support them in any way. And so it all began. Every cruise, when the ship is docked, several of the team members from Hotel and Nautic go and do some work at the school, this can be anything from gardening, to painting, to sanding……whatever the principal of the school requests. They also collected old children’s book and school materials and delivered this to the school during the winter. Here we share some pictures below from this year’s project: Garden makeover
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We only have short sailing seasons in Russia, with 6 cruises each year, however with efforts from the team they have managed to make a big difference for this school‌.and best of all? The team have loved these hours spent working here, and have had a blast doing it, working together, laughing together and knowing that they are making a big difference in a small place.
So our challenge to you? Sit with your teams, talk about where you might be able to make a difference in the areas where you are sailing, and get out there and share your hearts, skills and great teamwork for something great!
With love from Russia‌‌. Uniworld Charters Team
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SCRATCHING THE SURFACE: Facing reality beyond the postcard, by Forevercruiser Source: Travel media & Responsible Travel
VENICE FIGHTS OVERTOURISM THE BEST SHE CAN. La Serinissima suffers from having too much charm. Attracted by the old palaces, St. Mark's Square, the Bridge of Sighs, the gondolas and cultural events, from the carnival to the art biennale, the historic city, UNESCO World Heritage Site, welcomes 30 million visitors this year. The 500 Ocean cruise ships that dock at Santa Marta from May to October represent 1,5 million. Overtourism occurs when there are too many visitors to a particular destination. “Too many” is a subjective term, but it is defined in each destination by local residents, hosts, business owners and tourists. When rent prices push out local tenants to make way for holiday rentals, when narrow roads become jammed with tourist vehicles, when tourists cannot view landmarks because of the crowds, when fragile environments become degraded – these are all signs of overtourism. As tourism explodes, the historic Venice is gradually being depopulated. Only 55,000 inhabitants remain, compared to 150,000 in the early 1970s. The number of visitors reaches 80,000 daily. By 2030, some demographers predict, there could be no more fulltime residents. According to Jonathan Keates, chairman of Venice in Peril, if the population falls below 40,000, Venice will not be a viable, living city any longer. In the summer of 2017 the concept of overtourism hit the headlines with the sudden backlash from local residents, in cities such as Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik, into places as remote Iceland. There were marches in the streets, banners, slogans graffiti saying “Tourist go home”, Tourism’s impact on daily life. Life for those remaining local residents is impaired by this influx of day trippers and tourists. They are forced to negotiate crowds, put up with noisy wheelie suitcases, selfie sticks and often disrespectful behaviour – swimming in canals, picnicking on bridges. They see the city they love being littered; they watch vast cruise ships chug up and down the Giudecca Canal four or five times a day, emitting fumes before disgorging thousands of people. They reflect on how the artisan spirit of the city has been eroded. With time, overtourism changes the balance of economic incentives for a whole range of businesses that are important in defining the character of a city. The food, the goods in shops, even the music being played in bars all lean towards the tourist taste, and increasingly fail to cater for local people.
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Masterpiece in danger – What is being done to protect the city´s future? In response to local anger, fears over pollution and damage to historical infrastructure, an Italian government committee ruled in 2017 that cruise ships over 55,000 tons will be banned from entering St Mark’s Basin and the Giudecca Canal from 2021. Rather than docking in the historic centre of the city, they will have to dock in Marghera on the mainland. With the recent Ocean cruise ship accidents the population of Venice is pressing to forbid any Ocean cruise ship to sail in the Laguna, and move the calendar forward, The Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, introduced new and controversial plans for controlling visitor numbers. In April 2018, he announced a system of segregation, whereby access to popular sites such as the Rialto and St Mark’s Square will be controlled if crowds become too great, with tourists diverted along alternative routes. In addition, any tourists arriving by car via the Ponta Della Liberta from the mainland could be turned away if they don’t have pre-booked parking. The mayor authorised fines of €500 for noisy, wheeled suitcases being used in the historic centre, as well as fines for littering and loitering on bridges, swimming in canals, wearing swimwear while sightseeing and picnicking in public areas. The mayor’s announcements were not welcomed by everyone. Protesters dismantled turnstiles designed to separate locals from tourists a day after they were erected, chanting “Free Venice”. In Dec. 2018, responding to the mayor's expectations, the Chamber of Deputies voted, the enforcement of a special „tourist for a day" tax. Between € 2.50 and € 5, that could rise up to 10€ in high season. Stemming mass tourism without impacting the tourism economy is a fragile balance to find, the long expected “port disembarkation tax”, which should earn the city between 40 and 50 million euros to finance the municipality cleaning costs, to be put in place in July this year, was postponed to September first. UNESCO has frequently flagged up the damage being done to this World Heritage Site. Back in 2014 it told Italy it had until 2016 to act, or plan effective action, on a list of concerns, including the absence of a sustainable tourism strategy and any kind of coordinated approach to everything that makes Venice a place of ‘outstanding universal value’. In 2017 UNESCO even threatened to put Venice on its list of sites in danger, a decision it has deferred recently again to the request of Venice mayor.
Promote sustainable tourism, what we can we do? Tourism is about bringing people together, residents and visitors, and when done properly, both parties should reap the benefits. Shouldn´t travel be considered as a privilege? As a privilege we should organise and enjoy travel responsibly. This means travelling in ways which maximise positive impacts and minimise the negative ones. Choose to stay several nights, shop and eat locally, and explore off the beaten track, to avoid the popular hotspots and spread your dollars and Euros a little further. As ever, travel respectfully. Talk to local people, learn a few words of Italian, dress and behave appropriately, show your love. Travelling thoughtfully and with respect earns you respect, and that’s what people clinging onto a life in this beautiful but troubled city deserve.
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CULINARY CORNER From: Bernhard Zorn Sent: 23 July 2019 13:27 To: Subject: A`LIFE SIGNS
Dear all Management & Chefs,
‌.. indeed by far a while since most of you did received an email from this account. It’s not as an excuse,- I felt its lengthwise time to show up,- sending a kind of “Life signâ€? and indeed against some gossips I did hear I wouldn’t be,- I am still with the company. đ&#x;˜‰ Guess most of you been in loop with my kind of unexpected health issue (sometimes things facing you which you would never dream about)‌ It hit me harsh, I went last few month throughout surgeries, hammering chemotherapies, and further more S3 Line treatments are still in progress. Oh, its not my idea too make you wrinkle up your forehead,- while anticipating in care for “otherâ€? needs, we are committed too, perfection starts (you know all these chapters) but I don’t wanted to miss out saying THANK YOU for all prayers & supports. After almost 6 month disabling from duty,- (I am still in the post-operative treatment), seem it doesn’t work out on finger snap to be back on stage. I miss you all, (believe me or not), I am very thankful to each and every one,- keeping in touch within emailing me in CC`s. Happy to hear last week, that I was able to kick cancer`s butt!! “Giving up wasn’t ever an optionâ€? and that counts beyond. Indeed,- I hope being back “Soonâ€? (whatever it mean) ,- sooner better than later, - on perhaps someday time office mode,here and there,- travelling is still a challenge somehow,- may some ships around my hometown area,- thanks for your all understanding. However, all I can say, and what I see,- like to say thank you all very much for great jobs done,- congrats by the way for the achievement of being voted the 2nd time on the row, with T&L as the “Best river cruise lineâ€?. Pretty proud seeing, the culinary teams doing very well. Inhouse/outhouse the Corporate and Senior Team,- on board culinarians, doing an absolute great job,- (look like less can be more,- our “the Unforgettable`sâ€? Michel and Mirko aren’t within anymore and not yet replaced đ&#x;˜‰), however,- indeed, both are still in our hearts. Believe me or not, sometimes I had days in between, which gave me the feeling I will become a follower of both‌.. still no explicit wordings for ‌. I am pretty sure I`ll forget, not used too anymore, some in CC ‌. For those are in,- please feel free and share if you think its needed too ‌.. this thank you goes to everyone With culinary regards, Bernhard F. Zorn | Director Culinary Operations & Development Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection | U River Cruises Part of The Travel Corporation Family of Brands
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DEAR UNIWORLD TEAM
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Something exciting is coming your way in the Season 2020. As you are working for the best in the River Industry, we also want you to eat only the best. We have made up our thoughts for the 2020 Season and we like your input for our new crew menu which is coming up next season. We do value your ideas and input of your local dishes of origin for the menu. Any ideas or traditional dishes from your country are valued and will help us to create something nice for you. Please bear in mind that only reasonable ideas will be considered for the menu. Your ideas mean a lot to us and we want you to be part of it. Send your ideas via our suggestion box Thanks from Culinary department
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PEOPLE AND CULTURE
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LOBSTER INK UPDATE Great news on our lobster ink activity for June… the Onboard Teams have increased their learning time on the platform significantly! Well done to all of you!
And the JUNE AWARD goes to… Ion Ovidiu Cristea, the 1st on the list of our Top 10 (well done all of you!), with 53 assessments passed and an impressive average score of 90%!! CONGRATULATIONS to ION! Watch closely your Inbox, you will soon get a nice surprise from us! 19
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HARD WORK, SMILES AND TEAM WORK!!
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BABY NEWS Captain Jord Zwaal welcomes his 2nd daughter to his family: A journey for 3 has become a journey for 4. We welcome our daughter Ella to this world, born 14.07 at 12:12 in Vienna, Austria Warmest congratulations on the birth of your sweet baby girl!
WEDDING NEWS Alex Simion & Catalina Lozneanu said Yes, I do on the 15th of June 2019. Congratulations to the newlyweds! Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!!
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THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR ' 1ST CLASS ALL THE WAY. GUESTS! ACCOMMODATIONS, STAFF AND FOOD ' Service was outstanding. There was always some one to fill your glass or help you in any way
The Uniworld Enchanting Danube riverboat cruise in July 2019 exceeded expectations in every way. From the genuine hospitality of the skilled professional staff to the amenities on the S. S. Maria Theresa to the sights and sounds of each town we visited enhanced by passionate and knowledgable guides, the trip was of the highest quality!
' This truly was an amazing tour of Normandy and many Seine River sights. ' The crew/staff took excellent care of us in every respect. The tour guides were exceptional on every excursion, and we went on one in each time slot. The accommodations were very comfortable on our new riverboat, and we appreciated the amenities (e.g., handy
' ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, OUTSTANDING CUISINE, WE WILL DO ANOTHER '
laundry room, Internet
Just about everything, Every staff member we dealt with was very pleasant and easy to deal with. The crew responded immediately to customer feed back comment card hallfway through the cruise.
appreciated the personal
connection, effective air conditioning and ventilation, friendly service). The food was amazing every day--and we truly
' Excellent service aboard a unique ship. ' Very attentive staff but not overbearing, excellent cruise director, personable Captain. Common areas very pleasant, excellent service while on deck or in the lounge. Restaurant staff very friendly and quickly
identified/remembered preferred entree's and beverages.
' EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE ' We have previously traveled with Uniworld and knew what to expect. We weren’t disappointed. The whole experience is exceptional. Nothing is a problem. Their aim is to please. And please they do.we will be back.
notifications when something on the menu or buffet was not within our dietary requirements. This was a great cruise!
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In the meantime onboard of some other ships
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NEXT EDITION Send an email to
fleetflash@uniworld.com with your wedding, baby, promotion news or any other story you would like to share!
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